How Painful Is Tattoo Removal?
If you're looking into getting a tattoo removed, be aware that the process can be painful. However, the level of pain varies greatly depending on both your personal pain threshold and what type of procedure you choose. Does this Spark an idea?
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Procedures
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There are four types of common tattoo removal procedures. Salabrasion, excision, laser removal and light therapy. The level of pain involved is unique to each.
Salabrasion
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Salabrasion is one of the most painful methods. The area of the tattoo is given a local anesthetic, then covered in a saline compound. The tattoo is then scraped and sanded until the area is raw and the tattoo is well-faded or removed. Any dermis affected will need to be bandaged and there will pain involved in the healing.
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Excision
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Excision employs local anesthesia and a full removal of the tattooed area of skin. This is more common with smaller tattoos, though removal and placement of a skin graph can be used for larger body art. Be forewarned, this method will leave heavy scarring on the dermis and recovery will include soreness and pain.
Laser Removal and Light Therapy
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Both laser removal and light therapies involve sessions over multiple weeks. These therapies obliterate the ink of the tattoo through focused bursts of laser and light. Laser removal is somewhat painful, but a very popular method. Pulsed light therapy is the least painful procedure, but can be quite costly. Some scarring may occur in both instances as the skin becomes more damaged with each treatment.
Healing
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Plenty of ice and copious amounts of numbing cream on hand will diminish the levels of pain in your recovery. Talk to your tattoo-removal specialist about which therapies will serve you best during the healing process.
Considerations
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No matter which route you decide on for tattoo removal, there will be some level of pain. It is also important to keep in mind that the affected area of skin most likely will be scarred. However, if you have funds, time and determination, then light therapy is generally the least painful procedure and very effective.
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